Double update and say hello to a certain someone!
After breakfast on Saturday afternoon just as Miss Drill had suggested too Mildred, with Maud in tow, took her banana broom to the staff room hoping there might be a way to fix it.
(While it might be a dream for fixing pipes and leaky cauldrons, the tape wasn't alas good with holding a broom together. It was beginning to become fluffy and unstuck at the ends. And Mildred was a bit worried about flying it in practice. Not that she'd worked up the courage to tell that to HB!)
The girls knocked, and the door opened the door to them, of its own accord when someone said "Enter" in a singsong voice. And Miss Crotchet stopped arguing with the cupboard a moment. Or maybe she was arguing with someone in the cupboard. Or under it.
"Yes?"
"Err hello Miss. Miss Drill said I should- "
"Miss Drill? I'm afraid she's running late. Literally. She took the Running club on a cross country while it was a nice day and isn't back yet. Even though it's her turn for-!" Miss Crotchet Twittered. Then realised the first years shouldn't really be privy to staffroom grumblings.
"What is it you need dears? Perhaps we can help."
She said 'We' because, along with who or whatever she'd been arguing with, Miss Mould was there too. Albeit still as stone at the table while her face scrunched up against the feeble sunshine coming through the window.
Mildred wasn't sure if on the etiquette on greeting statues so just gave her a nod hello. And explained the problem to the other chanting teacher.
"Hmm. We have broomstick maintenance kits for the display team, perhaps there'll be something in there that can help. Come with me," Miss Crotchet said taking a ring of keys off the wall.
"I'm going out! Don't let anyone take the Witch Weekly, I'm not done reading it yet. No doing the crossword in pen either." She warned to seemingly no one as they left. The cupboard gave a creak in reply.
While they hadn't had any lessons with her, Mildred decided she quite liked Miss Crotchet. She was scatty but sweet, (a trait that seemed to be shared with quite a few members of staff!) With features that might have been sharp if not for her soft eyes and kind smiles. She was a very petite woman too. Most of the more average sized students stood a head taller than her. Even Maud was nearly on par with her. And she carried herself a slight hunch at her shoulders making her seem even smaller.
Small did not mean quiet though. Miss Crotchet chattered happily with them and asked them about their first week and asked after Maud's family. She also granted the same curtesy to many students they passed so the short walk took a while, her claw like hands flapping if she was stuck on a word or lost her train of thought. How Miss Crotchet could play piano or the organ with such hands Mildred would never know.
It was only because she noticed the teacher's hands actually Mildred realised Miss Crotchet's dress had capped not full sleeves and her arms were covered in feathers. Feathers of iridescent blacks, deep greens and blues like a magpie with the odd tiny flash of reds and bright greens. What she'd Had previously mistaken for puffy shelves were actually wings of a sort, with hands at the tip! They looked so soft to the touch Mildred shoved her hands in her cardigan pockets to avoid being tempted to do so.
Instead she followed the teacher, taking in the Birdlike way of walking, and a click of Claws sounding from somewhere under her long skirts.
"Half Harpy on her Mother's side..." She remembered Fenny and Gris mentioning it. She'd have to find out what a harpy was though, she'd never heard of it before coming to Cackles.
Finally, Miss Crotchet Led them a store room at the back of the hall behind the stage. With a muttered spell a ball of light conjured in her hands floating up up up above them illuminating the shelves of indoor gym equipment, files of old paper, drama props, and spare boots and uniform.
Maud elbowed Mildred and made a face.
"Let's see what we can find." Miss Crotchet said, Unlocking a big cupboard at the back and riffling through it.
Maud elbowed Mildred again. Mildred elbowed Maud back, as though to say: "Ow why did you elbow me?" And got A real Jab in the ribs this time for her trouble. Then Mildred realised Maud wasn't making faces. Well she was but not the sort Mildred had thought. She blamed it on the gloom. Maud had been making 'look at that' faces and nods but gave up.
"Look. Over. There." She mouthed, and pointed Trying not to catch Miss Crotchet's attention. Mildred followed the paw. And gasped.
"Are you alright Millicent?"
"yes miss!" Mildred said, pretending to cough, not bothering to correct her. "It's just a bit stuffy in here!"
At the far side of the store room behind a gym horse and under the sheet collecting dusk and netball pinnys, a familiar shape sat shoved in a corner. A sign saying DANGER KEEP OFF in big letters had been hung on it then forgotten about.
But it was defiantly the Blossom & Drill Portable and Virtual Reality Broomstick Flight Simulator , Mark Thee.
"Oh dear, this will have to do for now." Miss Crotchet sighed Jolting Mildred from her thoughts and leading them reluctantly back out of the cupboard.
The best Miss Crotchet could find was a splint of stiff leather. And together they braced Mildred's banana broom. It held it much firmer but all it really did it did make the bend more obvious.
But Mildred had other things on her mind. Or, one thing in particular.
"I'm going back there after our lights out…" she told the others at lunch. "I'm going on the Flight simulator. Tonight."